Biography
Dr. Jin-Yi Yu is a Professor in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine. He earned his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington after completing a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences at National Taiwan University.
Dr. Yu’s research focuses on climate dynamics and modeling, with a particular emphasis on the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). He is widely recognized for introducing the concepts of "Central Pacific El Niño" and "Eastern Pacific El Niño," which have significantly advanced the understanding of ENSO diversity. His work has been extensively cited, highlighting its impact on climate science. In addition to ENSO, his research explores tropospheric jet streams, mid-latitude baroclinic waves, marine heatwaves, and trans-basin climate interactions.
At UC Irvine, Dr. Yu teaches courses on climate dynamics and atmospheric sciences while actively contributing to university governance. He has served as Vice Chair of the Earth System Science Department and participated in various committees, including the Academic Senate Task Force on Climate Change. Committed to mentorship and academic development, he actively supports diversity, equity, and inclusion within the scientific community.
Return to topEducation
- PhD in Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, 1993
- BS in Atmospheric Sciences, National Taiwan University, 1984
Distinctions
- UC Irvine Dr. De Gallow Professor of the Year Award nominee, 2024
- UC Irvine Excellence in Pedagogical Development Award nominee, 2024
- OLAR 2023 Excellent Editor Award, 2024
- AAS 2023 Outstanding Editor Award, 2024
- American Geophysical Union (AGU) Editors’ Citation for Excellence, 2021
- Thomson Reuters list of the world’s top 1000 climate scientists, 2021
- Fellow, Meteorology Society of Taiwan, 2019
- Oversea Expert, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2018
- Outstanding Contributions Award to Undergraduate Education, School of Physical Science, University of California-Irvine, 2006
Areas of Expertise
- Climate Modeling and Dynamics
- El Niño-Southern Oscillation
- Marine Heatwave Dynamics
- Trans-Basin Climate Interactions
- Indian Ocean and Monsoon Variability
- Jet Stream and Baroclinic Waves
- Marine Stratocumulus Clouds
- Climate Model Development
- Atmospheric Wave Dynamics
- Subtropical ENSO Dynamics
Recent Publications
- F. Zheng, K. Li, J. Zhu, J.-Y. Yu, N. Keenlyside, “Advancing Annual Global Mean Surface Temperature Prediction to 2 Months Lead Using Physics Based Strategy” (opens in new tab), npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, vol. 7, pp. 219, 2024.
- P.-P. Li, F. Zheng, X. Fang, J.-Y. Yu, “The advance of El Niño phase locking from period 1982–2000 to 2001–2022” (opens in new tab), Environmental Research Communications, vol. 6, pp. 081004, 2024.
- X. Li, J.-Y. Yu, R. Ding, J. Hu, P. Tuo, “Asymmetric Efficacies between Warm and Cold Pacific Meridional Modes in Inducing ENSO” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 51, pp. e2024GL108924, 2024.
- X. Li, J.-Y. Yu, R. Ding, J. Hu, “El Niño-La Niña Asymmetries in the Changes of ENSO Complexities and Dynamics Since 1990” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 51, pp. e2023GL106395, 2024.
- Zhu, T., Yu, J.-Y., “Distinguishing Impacts on Winter Temperatures in Northern Mid-to-High Latitude Continents during Multi-year and Single-year La Niña events: A Modeling Study” (opens in new tab), Journal of Climate, 2024.
- Li, X., Ding, R., Tseng, Y.-H., Yu, J.-Y., Xu, X., “Mutual Influences Between ENSO and Its Two Precursor Modes in the Extratropical South Pacific” (opens in new tab), Climate Dynamics, 2024.
- Lin, Y.-F., Yu, J.-Y., “The role of Indian Ocean in controlling the formation of multi-year El Ninos through subtropical ENSO dynamics” (opens in new tab), Journal of Climate, vol. 37, pp. 385-401, 2024.
- Cao T.W., Zheng F., Yu J.Y., Fang X.H., Zhong W.X., “The Unique Role of the Intraseasonal Zonal Wind in March Over the Equatorial Western Pacific Contributes to Shaping the Subsequent ENSO Development” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 51, 2024.
- Wang J., Liu L.L., Lin Y.F., Yu J.Y., Wang F., “A See-Saw of Subduction Rate in the North Pacific Western and Eastern Subtropical Mode Water Formation Areas Induced by the Aleutian Low” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 51, 2024.
- Wu, C.-R., Lin, Y.-F., Lin, I.-I., Yu, J.-Y., “Unleashing the Power of the Sun: The Increasing Impact of the Solar Cycle on Off-Season Super Typhoons since the 1990s” (opens in new tab), npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 2023.
- Kim, J.-W., Yu, J.-Y., Tian, B., “Overemphasized role of preceding strong El Nino in generating multi-year La Nina events” (opens in new tab), Nature Communications, 2023.
- Lee, T.-H., Yu, J.-Y., Lin, Y.-F., Lo, M.-H., Xiao, H.-M., “The Potential Influence of Maritime Continent Deforestation on El Nino-Southern Oscillation: Insights from Idealized Modeling Experiments” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 50, pp. e2023GL105012, 2023.
- Zhao, Y., Yu, J.-Y., “Two Marine Heat Wave (MHW) Variants under a Basin-wide MHW Conditioning Mode in the North Pacific and Their Atlantic Associations” (opens in new tab), Journal of Climate, vol. 36, pp. 8657-8674, 2023.
- Song, W., Yu, J.-Y., Lian, T., “The Efficacy of Tropical and Extratropical Predictors for Long-lead ENSO Prediction: A Study Using a Machine Learning Algorithm” (opens in new tab), International Journal of Climatology, 2023.
- Lin, Y.-F., Terng, C.-T., Wu, C.-R., Yu, J.-Y., “Seasonally-reversed trends in the subtropical Northwestern Pacific linked to asymmetric AMO influences” (opens in new tab), Scientific Reports, 2023.
- Kim, J.-W., Chang, T.-H., Lee, C.-T., Yu, J.-Y., “Evaluating ENSO's Spatiotemporal Complexity in the CWB CFS 1-Tiered Model Hindcasts” (opens in new tab), Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, vol. 128, pp. e2022JD038200, 2023.
- Jane Doe, John Smith, “The impact of social media on mental health”, Journal of Social Media Studies, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 45-67, 2022.
- Zhu, T., Yu, J.-Y., “A shifting tripolar pattern of Antarctic sea ice concentration anomalies during multi-year La Nina events” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 49, pp. e2022GL101217, 2022.
- Kim, J.-W., Yu, J.-Y., “Single- and multi-year ENSO events controlled by pantropical climate interactions” (opens in new tab), npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, vol. 5, pp. 88, 2022.
- Xiao, H.-M., Lo, M.-H., Yu, J.-Y., “The Increased Frequency of Combined El Nino and Positive IOD events since 1965s and Its Impacts on Maritime Continent Hydroclimates” (opens in new tab), Scientific Reports, vol. 12, pp. 7532, 2022.
Most Cited Publications
- H.-Y. Kao, J.-Y. Yu, “Contrasting Eastern-Pacific and Central-Pacific types of ENSO” (opens in new tab), Journal of Climate, vol. 22, pp. 615-632, 2009.
- W. Cai, L. Wu, M. Lengaigne, T. Li, S. McGregor, J. Kug, J.-Y. Yu, “Pan-tropical climate interactions” (opens in new tab), Science, vol. 363, 2019.
- J.-Y. Yu, H.-Y. Kao, “Decadal Changes of ENSO Persistence Barrier in SST and Ocean Heat Content Indices: 1958-2001” (opens in new tab), Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 112, pp. D13106, 2007.
- Yu, J.-Y., S. T. Kim, “Relationships between Extratropical Sea Level Pressure Variations and the Central-Pacific and Eastern-Pacific Types of ENSO” (opens in new tab), Journal of Climate, vol. 24, pp. 708-720, 2011.
- C. Wang, C. Deser, J.-Y. Yu, P. DiNezio, A. Clement, “El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO): A Review” (opens in new tab), Coral Reefs of the Eastern Tropical Pacific: Persistence and Loss in a Dynamic Environment, Springer Netherlands, pp. 85-106, 2016.
- J.-Y. Yu, H.-Y. Kao, T. Lee, “Subtropics-Related Interannual Sea Surface Temperature Variability in the Equatorial Central Pacific” (opens in new tab), Journal of Climate, vol. 23, pp. 2869-2884, 2010.
- “the Two Types of El Niño on US Winter Temperature” (opens in new tab), Journal of Geophysical Research, 2014.
- Kim, S. T., J.-Y. Yu, “The Two Types of ENSO in CMIP5 Models” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 39, 2012.
- H. Paek, J.-Y. Yu, C. Qian, “Why were the 2015/16 and 1997/98 Extreme El Niños different?” (opens in new tab), Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 44, pp. 1848-1856, 2017.
- L. Wang, J.-Y. Yu, H. Paek, “Enhanced biennial variability in the Pacific due to Atlantic capacitor effect” (opens in new tab), Nature Communications, vol. 8, pp. 14887, 2017.
Contact Information
Website: http://www.ess.uci.edu/~yu
Email: jyyu@uci.edu
Phone: (949) 824-3878
Address: Department of Earth System Science University of California, Irvine
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Last updated on 2/16/2025.